I was very comfortable with the amount of detail the author wrote about the operation. I think the soul is much more than just a part of the human body. I enjoyed reading the historical context provided by the author. When I first read the story, I didn't realize that people of the time were thinking about this question of when death occurs. I've never had the experience of being next to someone who was about to die and wondering when they stopped being, well, him. Death is something that has always existed and we humans are continually trying to understand it. I believe that if the person is brain dead and there is no chance of recovery, their organ can be harvested to save another person's life. For me, surgeons are not murderers. The operator only does what is asked or requested. I find it saddening the idea that the person's body is very much alive but not in the brain. If I were a surgeon, I couldn't imagine being able to regard a beating heart as nothing more than a simple pump. The author describes his experience with H's surgery and provides insight and insightful questions on the topic. There is a growing population of people who need organs. Unfortunately, people are dying every day because of the low number of resources available. Brain dead patients continue to appear on stretchers and doctors and families wonder if this person is sentient. Throughout literature, writers